Metering device for engines.



No. 822,637. PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906.

E. L. TUCKER. METERING DEVICE FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY31, 1903.

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Bl| w I XHJ $630663 96' ffldffi/ PATENTED JUNE 5,.1906. E. L. TUCKER. vMETERING DEVICE FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULYSI, 1903.

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. Nq. 822,637.. I PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906.

E. L. TUCKER.

METERING DEVICE FOR ENGINES.

APPLIOATI N FILED JULY31, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Zliizeweg EMETT L. TUCKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

mE Esme DEVICE Foe-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1906.

Application filed July 31, 1903. Serial No. 167.692.

1'0 (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMETT L. TUCKER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Chioago,-Cook county, Illinois, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Metering Devices for Engines,

of which the following is a specification.

' My invention contemplates a registering device for meteringthedistance or number of feet traveled by'an engine-piston under direct orboiler pressure.

As is well known, consid'erabledifiiculty is Y often experienced inregulating steam and other like engines and in obtaining from theseengines the highest'degree of efficiency of which they are capable. Veryoften the true difficulty consists in an inability to determine theexact manner in which the engine is operating-that is'to say,-withrespect to the proportion of work done by director boiler pressurerelative to the proportion done by eXpansio'n. With my improved meteringdevice, however, it is possible to keep an exact record of the numberoffset traveled by the piston underdirect or boiler pressure during acertain period of time. In

this way an engineer can see at a glance just what his engine is doing,can readily determine whether the engine is operating as efficiently asis possible for it to do, and can at all times have an indicator at handby which to accurately regulate his engine with a view to securing thehighest possible'efficiency.

To the foregoing and other useful ends my invention. consists in mattershereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of asteam-engine of the well-known Corliss type and equipped with myimproved metering device. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan of my iin rovedmetering de vice and the clutch mech it. 8 is a front elevation or faceview of the device shown in Fig] 2.

Fig. 4 is a view of the meter with the dial or front plate re moved.Fig. Sis a section on line 5 5 in Fig. 4. 6 is a section on line 6 6 inFig. 2. Fig. 7 is a section on line 7 7 in Fig. 2.

The engine shown in Fig. 1 is of the Wellknown Corliss type, and forthis reason a detailed description of its construction is not necessary.It will be suificient to say that the rods 1 and 2 are the plunger-rodsof the dash-pots 3 and 4, which constitute a familiar and well-knownfeature of this type of engine.

amsm for operating registering device A can be of any suitable Referringto Figs. 2 and 3,.the meter or known or approved construction. Asiillusetratedgit is provided with pointers a, a, a",

a a a a, and a each having a dial and each adapted to indicate units,tens, hundreds, &c., as the case may be. In other words, these pointersand their dials constifeet traveled by the engine-piston under direct orboiler pressure'during a certain period or interval of time. teringdevice is conveniently attached to the side of the cylinder. Preferablywith the type of engine shown there are two of these metering devices,one associated with each of the rods 1 and 2. The internal constructionof the meter, as shown, comprises a central shaft a", which carries saidpointer a and which, as will be observed, is gear-connected with theother and smaller pointers. A large gear-wheelc is keyed to this shafta. Any suitable means can be employed for actuating this meteringdevice. For example, the shaft B, gear-connected at its forward end withthe main crank-shaft of the engine and supported at its rear endin'suitable bearings, can be employed as the medium of powertransmittingconnection for actuating said metering devices. As illustrated, the saidshaft is supported in bearings b,'to which are attached sleeves I),having cam-grooves N. A loose clutch member C is associated with each ofsaid sleeves and mounted on said shaft. A fixed or constantly-rotatingclutch member D is mounted on the shaft and associated with each looseclutch member. These, as will be seen, constitute friction-clutches. Themembers C have toothed peripheries, which niesh with and engage thegear-wheels a. The loose clutch members C are adapted to be reciprocatedupon the shaft by the shifters E, which are each provided with a roll e,adapted to engage the cam-groove b of the adjacent sleeve. As shown,these shifters E are connected with the rods 1 and 2 by links F.

As shown in Figs. 2, 3, 6, and 7, the rod 1 is at the limit of itsdownward stroke and the piston is traveling under expansion; but theminutev the rod 1 rises the conse uent partial rotation of the shiftersE will one )le the camgroove 1) of the roll 6 to force the member C intoengagement with the flat rubber or other surface of the constantlyrotating clutch member 1). This, it will be seen, results in a tute themeans for registering the number. of

As illustrated, this mev Q v 822,637

rotary movement of the memberG and a consequent actuation of themetering device:

The rotaticn 'qf the ineter-poin ers continues;

as long. as the piston travels under direct or boiler pressure and as"'1eng- -as' the TOd remains in its elevated position; but the mm.-

ute the cut-off occurs and-as soon as=-tlm Pis ton starts to travelunder expansion then the rod falls, and in so doing opens or disconnectsthe power-transmitting connection between.

the engine andthemetering device. In this way an'accnratel'ecord-willbekept of the number of feet which the-piston travels-urider direct orboiler pressure-f Knowing the total number of feet traveledby-thepistqfn'in:

a given time, the engmeer-then-of ceu'rsecan I readily determine whetherthe. fengine..is working pro erly and can make whatevcr'ad- I justmentso he valves,.&c;,vas, are neces- .berof feet traveled by thepistoninTa-giventime, it will probably ,be desirable to-employ' ary: Inorderto de a speed indicator; ,Aspeed-indi cator ofan'y suitable knownorapprovedconstruction can be employed." I t is quite likely, however,

that with many engineers theprovision of a speed-indicator will not benecessary.- It

will be understood that'athe reciprocation otthe rods 1 and 2 and theconsequentmove: ment of the links F is sufiicient to produce the desiredoscillation or partial-rotation of a the members E.' It is obvious,however, that any other suitable power-transmitting; con

nection can be employed for operating the ing device, apower-transmitting connection clutches. V v a What I claim as myinvention is- 1. The combinationof an engine, a metert -mine thetotallium-T between the engine and the metering device, saidpower-transmitting connection. include as soon as t 6 piston starts totravel uner direct or boiler pressure, and ada ted to ferate partxof thetime under direct or boiler pressure and the balance of the time underand connected for-registering the number of ,feet traveled by theengine-piston under di- :-rect or boiler pressure. 1

cut-ofid'evices, whereby the engine may operate part of the, time underdirect or boiler pressure and-the balance of the time under "expansion;and? a meterin said conditions. 7 i

Illinois, this 23d. day of July, 1903.

. EMETT L. TUCKER... Witnesses? I ALBERT ANDEnsoN, WM. A. HARDE s' beopened by the engine as soon as t e said 3". The-combination of anengine having cut ofi devices, whereby the engine may opexpansion, and ametering device adapted device adapted. and connected to register t enumber'of feet,

traveled. by the engine-pistomunder one of.

. 7 Signed by me 'at Chicago,'Cook county,

4 'ing a' clutch ada ted to be closed-bythe en- 4. The combination of anengine having

